TWI826370B - High pressure wafer processing systems and related methods - Google Patents

Abstract

A high-pressure processing system for processing a substrate includes a first chamber, a pedestal positioned within the first chamber to support the substrate, a second chamber adjacent the first chamber, a vacuum processing system configured to lower a pressure within the second chamber to near vacuum, a valve assembly between the first chamber and the second chamber to isolate the pressure within the first chamber from the pressure within the second chamber, and a gas delivery system configured to introduce a processing gas into the first chamber and to increase the pressure within the first chamber to at least 10 atmospheres while the processing gas is in the first chamber and while the first chamber is isolated from the second chamber.

Description

High-pressure wafer processing systems and related methods

This specification describes wafer handling systems and related methods.

Microelectronic circuits and other micro-sized devices are often fabricated from substrates or wafers, such as silicon or other semiconductor material wafers. Multiple metal layers are applied to a substrate to form microelectronics or other micro-sized components, or to provide electrical interconnections. These metal layers (e.g., copper) are electroplated onto the substrate and photolithographically, electroplated, etched, polished, or other steps are sequenced to form features and interconnects.

To obtain the desired material properties, the substrate is typically passed through an annealing process in which the substrate is rapidly heated, typically to about 200-500°C, and more typically to about 300-400°C. The substrate can be maintained at these temperatures for relatively short periods of time, such as 60-300 seconds. The substrate is then rapidly cooled, with the entire process typically taking only a few minutes. Annealing can be used to change the material properties of layers on a substrate. It can also be used to activate dopants, drive dopants between films on a substrate, change film-to-film or film-to-substrate interfaces, densify deposited films, or repair damage caused by ion implantation.

As the feature sizes of microelectronic devices and interconnects become smaller, the allowable defect rate decreases significantly. Some defects are caused by contaminant particles. Other defects may result from incomplete processing of certain areas of the wafer, such as failure to grow a film at the bottom of a trench.

Various annealing chambers have been used in the past. In single wafer processing configurations, these annealing chambers typically position the substrate between or on top of heating and cooling elements to control the temperature profile of the substrate. However, implementing precise and repeatable temperature profiles and acceptable defect levels can present engineering challenges.

In one aspect, a high-pressure processing system for processing a substrate includes: a first chamber; a base positioned within the first chamber to support the substrate; a second chamber adjacent the first chamber; and a vacuum process A system configured to reduce the pressure in the second chamber to near vacuum; a valve assembly between the first chamber and the second chamber to isolate the pressure in the first chamber from the pressure in the second chamber; gas delivery A system configured to introduce a process gas into a first chamber and, while the process gas is in the first chamber and when the first chamber is isolated from the second chamber, increase the pressure within the first chamber to at least 10 atmospheres ; and controller. The controller is configured to operate the gas delivery system to introduce process gas into the first chamber and open the valve assembly to enable transfer of the substrate from the first chamber to the second chamber.

Implementations may include one or more of the following features.

The valve assembly may include a slit valve between the first chamber and the second chamber. The slit valve may include a slit passing through the wall between the first chamber and the second chamber, and an arm movable between a first position and a second position in which the arm covers the slit. slit to form a seal between the first chamber and the second chamber, and in the second position the slit is uncovered. The substrate can be transferred from the first chamber to the second chamber through the slit valve. The arm may be configured to engage an interior surface of the wall defining the first chamber in the first position to form a seal between the first chamber and the second chamber. The actuator moves the arm relative to the slit. The actuator may be coupled to the exterior of the second chamber or to the proximal end of the arm within the second chamber. The arm may be configured to engage an outer surface of the first chamber in the first position to form a seal between the first chamber and the second chamber.

The base may be secured to the wall defining the first chamber. The wall defining the first chamber is moveable relative to the base defining the first chamber to provide a valve assembly. The base may be suspended from the ceiling of the first chamber.

The gas delivery system may include an exhaust system to exhaust gas within the first chamber to depressurize the first chamber. The controller may be configured to operate the exhaust system to depressurize the first chamber before the valve assembly is opened. The vacuum processing system may be configured to generate a pressure within the second chamber that is less than 1 atmosphere.

The heating element may be configured to apply heat to the substrate when the substrate is supported on the base to anneal the substrate. The heating element can be positioned within the base. The heating element may be positioned within the wall defining the first chamber.

The robotic arm may be configured to transfer the substrate from the first chamber to the second chamber through the valve assembly. The lift pin assembly raises the base plate from the base.

A semiconductor manufacturing equipment may include: a central vacuum chamber with a robot positioned therein; a factory interface module coupled to the central vacuum chamber; and a low-pressure substrate processing system coupled to the central vacuum chamber through a first vacuum valve chamber; and the high-pressure treatment system described above. The second chamber may be coupled to the central vacuum chamber via a second vacuum valve.

In another aspect, a semiconductor processing method includes the steps of introducing a processing gas into a first chamber to process a layer on a substrate and generating a pressure of at least 10 atmospheres in the first chamber during processing of the layer. ; and transferring the substrate directly from the first chamber to the second chamber, the second chamber having a pressure less than 1 atmosphere.

Implementations may include one or more of the following features. After the processing gas is introduced and before the substrate is transferred, the processing gas may be exhausted from the first chamber to reduce the pressure within the first chamber. Before transferring the substrate, the slit valve between the first chamber and the second chamber may be opened. The substrate can be transferred to the second chamber through the slit valve. Opening the slit valve may include moving the arm from a first position in which the arm and the slit valve form a seal between the first chamber and the second chamber to a second position in which The slit valve opens. After the process gas is introduced, heat can be applied to the substrate to anneal the substrate. The substrate may include silicon material.

The foregoing advantages may include, but are not limited to, those described below and elsewhere herein. High pressure processing systems in some aspects may improve the thoroughness of processing (eg, annealing or deposition) of material layers on a substrate. For example, by annealing or depositing in a high-pressure environment, the resulting material can more easily penetrate complex surface geometries on the substrate (eg, etching geometries). Therefore, fewer defects may occur during processing.

The details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other potential features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, accompanying drawings, and claims.

As mentioned above, some defects may be caused by incomplete processing of certain areas of the substrate. However, high-pressure processing improves the consistency of processing across the substrate. In particular, annealing or deposition can be performed in a high-pressure environment; this can help improve the thoroughness of processing of the material layer. As a result, layers can be formed or modified more uniformly across the substrate. High-pressure processing also provides chemical reactions not available at lower pressures.

Another problem is that certain materials, such as copper, will oxidize rapidly at temperatures above about 70°C when exposed to oxygen. If copper or other materials become oxidized, the substrate may no longer be usable, or the oxide layer must first be removed before further processing. These are unacceptable options for efficient manufacturing. Therefore, when the substrate temperature exceeds about 70°C, a design factor is to isolate the substrate from oxygen. Since oxygen is of course present in ambient air, avoiding oxidation of copper during annealing also poses engineering challenges. As described herein, substrates may be transported between high pressure processing chambers and different processing chambers in low pressure (eg, near vacuum) environments to avoid contamination and oxidation of the substrates.

Temperature uniformity of the wafer is another important design factor because it affects the crystal structure of copper or other materials on the wafer. The handling system (e.g., pedestal configuration) provides uniform heating of the wafer.

Another consideration is serviceability. It is very important to be able to restore or repair the chamber as quickly and efficiently as possible. The chamber configuration described here can be easily serviced.

Figure 1 illustrates an integrated multi-chamber substrate processing system suitable for performing at least one embodiment of physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, and/or annealing processes described herein. Typically, multi-chamber substrate processing systems include at least one high-pressure processing chamber (e.g., capable of operating at pressures above 10 atmospheres) to perform high-pressure processing (such as deposition or annealing); and at least one low-pressure processing chamber (e.g., capable of operating at pressures above 10 atmospheres); , capable of operating at pressures below about 100 mTorr) to perform low-pressure processes (such as etching, deposition, or thermal processing). In some embodiments, a multi-chamber processing system is a cluster tool having a central transfer chamber at low pressure from which multiple processing chambers are accessible.

Some embodiments of the processes and systems described herein relate to forming layers of materials (eg, metal and metal silicide barriers) for feature definition. For example, a first metal layer is deposited on a silicon substrate and annealed to form a metal silicide layer. A second metal layer is then deposited over the metal silicide layer to fill the features. The annealing process used to form the metal silicide layer can be performed in multiple annealing steps.

Figure 1 is a schematic top view of an embodiment of a processing platform 100. The processing platform 100 includes two transfer chambers 102, 104, transfer robots 106, 108 respectively located in the transfer chambers 102, 104 and two Processing chambers 110, 112, 114, 116, 118 on transfer chambers 102, 104. The first and second transfer chambers 102, 104 are central vacuum chambers that interface with adjacent processing chambers 110, 112, 114, 116, 118. The first transfer chamber 102 and the second transfer chamber 104 are separated by a pass through chamber 120, which may contain a cooling chamber or a preheating chamber. Vacuum or ventilation may also be provided through chamber 120 during substrate processing when first transfer chamber 102 and second transfer chamber 104 operate at different pressures. For example, the first delivery chamber 102 may operate at between about 100 mTorr and about 5 Torr, such as about 40 mTorr, and the second delivery chamber 104 may operate at about 1×10 ⁻⁵ Torr to about 1×10 Operating between ^-8 Torr (such as approximately 1×10 ^-7 Torr).

The processing platform 100 is automated via a programmed controller 122. Controller 122 is operable for individual operation of each of the chambers of processing platform 100 to process substrates.

The first transfer chamber 102 is associated with two degassing chambers 124, two load lock chambers 128, a reactive pre-cleaning chamber 118, at least one physical vapor deposition chamber (preferably long throw physical vapor deposition (PVD) ) chamber 110) and coupled through chamber 120. The preclean chamber may be a PreClean II chamber available from Applied Materials, Inc. of Santa Clara, California. Substrates (not shown) are loaded into the processing platform 100 through the load gate chamber 128 . For example, the fab interface module 132 (if present) will be responsible for receiving one or more substrates (e.g., wafers, wafer cassettes, or wafer enclosures) from a human operator or an automated substrate handling system, as applicable. , the factory interface module 132 can open the cassette or bay of substrates and move the substrates into and out of the load gate chamber 128. The processing chambers 110, 112, 114, 116, 118 receive substrates from the transfer chambers 102, 104, process the substrates , and allow the substrates to be transferred back to the transfer chambers 102, 104. After being loaded into the processing platform 100, the substrates are sequentially degassed and cleaned in the degassing chamber 124 and the pre-cleaning chamber 118, respectively.

Each of the processing chambers is isolated from the transfer chambers 102, 104 by an isolation valve that allows the processing chambers to operate at a different vacuum level than the transfer chambers 102, 104 and prevents any gases used in the processing chambers Introduced into the transfer chamber. The load gate chamber 128 is also isolated from the transfer chambers 102, 104 by isolation valves. Each load lock chamber 128 has a door to the outside environment (eg, to the factory interface module 132). In normal operation, a cassette loaded with substrates is placed into the load lock chamber 128 from the factory interface module 132 through the door and the door is closed. The load lock chamber 128 is then evacuated to the same pressure as the transfer chamber 102 and the isolation valve between the load lock chamber 128 and the transfer chamber 102 is opened. The robot in transfer chamber 102 is moved into position and one substrate is removed from load lock chamber 128 . The load gate chamber 128 is preferably equipped with an elevator mechanism to remove one substrate from the cassette, the elevator moves the stack of wafers in the cassette to position another wafer in the transfer plane so that it can be positioned on the robot blade superior.

The transfer robot 106 in the transfer chamber 102 then rotates with the substrate so that the substrate is aligned with the processing chamber position. Flush any toxic gases from the processing chamber to the same pressure level as the transfer chamber and open the isolation valve. Transfer robot 106 then moves the wafer into the processing chamber where it is lifted off the robot. The transfer robot 106 then retracts from the processing chamber and closes the isolation valve. The processing chamber then goes through a series of operations to perform the specified processing on the wafer. When completed, the processing chamber is returned to the same environment as the transfer chamber 102 and the isolation valve is opened. When the entire wafer cassette has been processed, the transfer robot 106 removes the wafer from the processing chamber and then moves the wafer to another processing chamber for another operation or to replace the wafer in the load gate chamber 128 circle to be removed from the processing platform 100.

Transfer robots 106, 108 include robot arms 107, 109 respectively that support and move substrates between different processing chambers. Transfer robot 106 moves substrates between degassing chamber 124 and pre-cleaning chamber 118 . The substrate may then be transferred to a long throw PVD chamber 110 to deposit material on the substrate.

The second transfer chamber 104 is coupled to the cluster of processing chambers 110, 112, 114, 130. Processing chambers 110, 112 may be chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chambers for depositing materials (such as tungsten) as desired by an operator. Examples of suitable CVD chambers include the WxZ ^™ chamber available from Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, California. The CVD chamber is preferably suitable for depositing materials by atomic layer deposition (ALD) techniques and by conventional chemical vapor deposition techniques. Processing chambers 114 and 130 may be rapid thermal annealing (RTA) chambers or rapid thermal processing (RTP) chambers that may anneal substrates under vacuum or near vacuum pressure. An example of an RTA chamber 114 is a RADIANCE ^™ chamber available from Applied Materials, Inc. of Santa Clara, California. Alternatively, processing chambers 114 and 130 may be WxZ ^TM deposition chambers capable of performing high temperature CVD deposition, annealing processes, or in-situ deposition and annealing processes. The PVD-treated substrate moves from the first transfer chamber 102 into the second transfer chamber 104 via the pass chamber 120 . Thereafter, the transfer robot 108 moves the substrate between one or more of the processing chambers 110, 112, 114, 130 for material deposition and annealing required for processing.

An RTA chamber (not shown) may also be provided on the first transfer chamber 102 of the processing platform 100 to provide a post-deposition annealing process before the substrate is removed from the platform 100 or transferred to the second transfer chamber 104 .

Although not shown, a plurality of vacuum pumps are provided in fluid communication with each of the transfer chamber and processing chamber to independently regulate the pressure in the respective chamber. The pump establishes a vacuum gradient of increasing pressure across the equipment from the loading lock chamber to the processing chamber.

Alternatively or additionally, a plasma etch chamber, such as a decoupled plasma source chamber (DPS ^™ chamber) manufactured by Applied Materials, Santa Clara, Calif., may be coupled to the processing platform 100 or on a separate In the processing system, it is used to etch the substrate surface to remove unreacted metal after PVD metal deposition and/or annealing metal deposition. For example, when forming cobalt silicide from cobalt and silicon materials through an annealing process, an etching chamber may be used to remove unreacted cobalt material from the substrate surface.

Other etching processes and equipment, such as wet etch chambers, may be used in conjunction with the processes and equipment described herein.

Figure 2 shows a controlled high pressure system 200 that generates a high pressure environment for processing substrates and a low pressure environment for the substrates as they are transferred between processing chambers. Controlled high pressure system 200 includes a first high pressure chamber 202 and a second vacuum chamber 204 . The first chamber 202 may correspond to one of the processing chambers 110 , 112 , 114 , 116 , 118 , 130 of the processing platform 100 and the second chamber 204 may correspond to one of the transfer chambers 102 , 104 of the processing platform 100 . Alternatively, in some embodiments, one of the processing chambers 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 130 includes both the first chamber 202 and the second chamber 204. The first chamber 202 corresponds to the inner chamber, and the second chamber 204 corresponds to the outer chamber surrounding the inner chamber.

The pressure within the first chamber 202 can be controlled independently of the pressure in the second chamber 204. If the first chamber 202 and the second chamber 204 are different from the transfer chamber, the first chamber 202 and the second chamber 204 may have pressures that are controlled independently of the pressure within the transfer chamber. Controlled high pressure system 200 further includes a gas delivery system 206, a vacuum processing system 208, and a controller 210. In some examples, controller 122 of processing platform 100 may include controller 210 .

The second chamber 204 is a low pressure chamber adjacent the first chamber 202 . In some embodiments, the second chamber 204 also surrounds the first chamber 202. The second chamber 204 may correspond to a transfer chamber (eg, transfer chamber 102 or transfer chamber 104 ) that receives substrates between different processing chambers. The low pressure environment of the second chamber 204 may inhibit contamination and/or oxidation of the substrate or materials formed on the substrate.

Gas delivery system 206 is operated to pressurize and depressurize first chamber 202. The first chamber 202 is a high pressure processing chamber that receives processing gas from the gas delivery system 206 and establishes a high pressure (eg, at least 10 atmospheres). The processing gas can interact with the layer being processed to anneal the layer (eg, by modifying the layer or reacting with the material to form a new layer). The process gas may include hydrogen (eg, the process gas may be hydrogen H ₂ ). Alternatively, the process gas may be a precursor gas used as a source of material to be formed on the substrate (eg, for a deposition process). To pressurize the first chamber 202 , a gas delivery system 206 introduces process gas into the first chamber 202 . In some cases, the gas delivery system 206 may also introduce steam into the first chamber 202 to increase the pressure within the first chamber 202 .

Gas delivery system 206 may include an exhaust system 211 to exhaust process gas from first chamber 202 to depressurize first chamber 302. The vacuum processing system 208 is operated to control the pressure of the second chamber 204 to a vacuum or a pressure close to vacuum (eg, less than 1 mTorr). For example, vacuum processing system 208 reduces the pressure within second chamber 204 to near vacuum, thereby creating a suitable low-pressure environment for transporting substrates.

A valve assembly 212 between the first chamber 202 and the second chamber 204 isolates the pressure within the first chamber 202 from the pressure within the second chamber 204 . Therefore, the high-pressure environment within the first chamber 202 can be separated and sealed from the low-pressure environment within the second chamber 204 . Valve assembly 212 may be open to enable transfer of substrates from first chamber 202 directly into second chamber 204 or to enable transfer of substrates from second chamber 204 directly into first chamber 202 .

In some embodiments, high pressure system 200 includes a foreline 214 connected to a transfer chamber (eg, one of transfer chambers 102, 104) and to the external environment. An isolation valve 216 is disposed along the foreline 214 to isolate the pressure within the second chamber 204 from the pressure of the external environment. Isolation valve 216 is operable to regulate the pressure within second chamber 204 and release gas within second chamber 204 . Isolation valve 216 is operable with vacuum processing system 208 to regulate the pressure within second chamber 204 .

Figures 3-6 depict various embodiments of high pressure processing systems for processing layers on a substrate. The pressure of the chambers of these high pressure processing systems can be controlled using a system similar to that described with respect to Figure 2.

Referring to Figure 3, high pressure processing system 300 includes a first chamber 302, a base 304, a second chamber 306, and a controller (eg, controller 122). The high pressure processing system 300 further includes a vacuum processing system (not shown) similar to the vacuum processing system 208 and a gas delivery system 307 similar to the gas delivery system 206 described with respect to FIG. 2 . For example, gas delivery system 307 includes input line 307a and exhaust line 307b. Process gas is introduced into the first chamber 302 through input line 307a, and process gas is exhausted from the first chamber 302 through exhaust line 307b.

The pedestal 304 supports a substrate 314 on which layers of materials are to be processed (eg, annealed or deposited). The base 304 is or can be positioned within the first chamber 302 . In some embodiments, the base plate 314 sits directly on the flat top surface of the base. In some embodiments, the base plate 314 sits on pins 330 that protrude from the base.

High pressure processing system 300 includes an inner wall 320, a base 322, and an outer wall 324. The first chamber 302 is provided by the volume within the inner wall 320 (eg, between the inner wall 320 and the base 322). The second chamber 304 is provided by the volume outside the inner wall 320 (eg, between the inner wall 320 and the outer wall 324).

The high pressure processing system 300 further includes a valve assembly 316 between the first chamber 302 and the second chamber 306. The valve assembly 316 provides the functionality of the valve assembly 212 of Figure 2, that is, the valve assembly 316 is operable to isolate the second chamber. A chamber 302 and a second chamber 306. For example, valve assembly 316 includes inner wall 320 , base 322 , and actuator 323 to move base 322 relative to inner wall 320 . The actuator 323 can be controlled to drive the base 322 to move vertically (eg, away from or toward the wall 320 defining the first chamber 302). The bellows 328 may be used to seal the second chamber 306 from the outside atmosphere while allowing the base 322 to move vertically. Bellows 328 may extend from the bottom of base 322 to the floor of second chamber 306 formed by outer wall 324 .

When the valve assembly 316 is in the closed position, the base 322 contacts the wall 320 such that a seal is formed between the base 322 and the wall 320, thereby separating the outer chamber 306 from the inner chamber 302. Actuator 323 is operated with sufficient force to drive base 322 toward inner wall 320 to form a seal. The seal prevents air from the first high pressure chamber 302 from venting into the low pressure second chamber 306 .

When the valve assembly 316 is in the open position, the base 322 is spaced apart from the wall 320, allowing air to conduct between the first chamber 302 and the second chamber 306 and also allowing the substrate 314 to be accessed and transferred to the other chamber.

Because the base 304 is supported on the base 322, the base 304 is also movable relative to the inner wall 320. The base 304 can be moved to make the substrate 314 more accessible to the transfer robot. For example, the arms of transfer robot 106 or 108 (see FIG. 1 ) may extend through holes 326 in outer wall 324 . When the valve assembly 316 is in the open position, the robotic arm can pass through the gap between the inner wall 320 and the base 322 to access the substrate 314 .

In some embodiments, high pressure processing system 300 includes one or more heating elements 318 configured to apply heat to substrate 314 . When the substrate 314 is supported on the pedestal 304 and processing gas (if used) has been introduced into the first chamber 302, the heat from the heating element 318 may be sufficient to anneal the substrate 314. Heating element 318 may be a resistive heating element. One or more heating elements 318 may be positioned (eg, embedded) in the interior wall 320 defining the first chamber 302 (eg, in the ceiling of the first chamber 302 provided by the interior wall 320 ). This heats the inner wall 320 causing radiant heat to reach the substrate 314 . substrate 314 may be held in close proximity (eg, 2-10 mm) by the base 304 to the top plate to improve heat transfer from the inner wall 320 to the base plate 314.

However, one or more heating elements 318 may be disposed in other locations within the high pressure processing system 300 (eg, within the side walls rather than within the ceiling). Examples of heating elements 318 include discrete heating coils. Instead of or in addition to a heater embedded in the interior wall, a radiant heater (eg, an infrared lamp) may be located outside the first chamber 302 and direct infrared radiation through a window in the interior wall 320 . Wires connect an electrical source (not shown), such as a voltage source, to the heating elements and may connect one or more heating elements 318 to the controller.

The controller is operably connected to the vacuum processing system, gas delivery system 307 and valve assembly 316 for controlling operations of processing (eg, annealing or depositing) a layer of material on substrate 314. In some embodiments, the controller may also be operably connected to other systems. For example, the controller may also be operably connected to one or more of the transfer robots 106, 108, one or more heating elements 318, and/or actuators 323. In some cases, controller 122 shown in FIG. 1 may include the controller of high pressure processing system 300 .

When processing the material layer on the substrate 314, the controller may operate the vacuum processing system to depressurize the second chamber 306 to a low pressure state (e.g., depressurize to a state where the second chamber 306 has a pressure less than 1 atmosphere), in preparation for transferring substrate 314 through second chamber 306. The low pressure state may be a near-vacuum state (eg, a pressure of less than 1 millitorr). The substrate 314 is moved by a transfer robot (eg, one of the transfer robots 106, 108) through the second chamber 306 while the second chamber 306 is at a low pressure such that contamination and oxidation of the substrate 314 can be inhibited. Double walls help ensure safer handling (e.g., annealing).

Substrate 314 is transferred to first chamber 302 for processing. To transfer the substrate 314 into the first chamber 302, the controller may operate the valve assembly 316 (eg, open the valve assembly 316 to provide an opening through which the substrate 314 may be transferred into the first chamber 302). The controller may operate the transfer robot to carry the substrate 314 into the first chamber 302 and place the substrate 314 on the base 304 .

After the substrate 314 is transferred into the first chamber 302, the controller may operate the valve assembly 316 to close the opening (eg, close the valve assembly 316), thereby isolating the first chamber 302 and the second chamber 306 from each other. With valve assembly 316 closed, the pressure in first chamber 302 and second chamber 306 may be set to different values. The controller may operate the gas delivery system 307 to introduce processing gas into the first chamber 302 to pressurize the first chamber 302 and form a layer of material onto the substrate 314 . The introduction of process gas may increase the pressure within first chamber 302 to, for example, 10 atmospheres or higher.

In some embodiments, the process gas interacts with the material on the substrate to anneal the material (eg, by modifying the layer or reacting with the material to form a new layer). Alternatively, the process gas may include material to be deposited onto substrate 314, and appropriate temperature and pressure conditions in first chamber 302 may cause deposition of the material to occur. During substrate processing, the controller operates a or multiple heating elements 318 to add heat to the substrate 314 to promote deposition of a layer of material on the substrate 314.

When the modification or formation of the material layer on the substrate 314 is complete, the substrate 314 can be removed from the first chamber 302 using a transfer robot and, if necessary, transferred to a subsequent processing chamber. Alternatively, substrate 314 is transferred to a load lock chamber (eg, one of load lock chambers 128). In preparation for transferring the substrate 314 out of the first chamber 302, the controller may operate the exhaust system of the gas delivery system 307 to depressurize the first chamber 302 before the valve assembly 316 opens. In particular, before the substrate 314 is transferred out of the first chamber 202, the processing gas is exhausted from the first chamber 302 to reduce the pressure within the first chamber 202. The pressure can be reduced to near vacuum pressure so that the pressure difference between the first chamber 302 and the second chamber 306 can be minimized.

To enable transfer of substrate 314 out of first chamber 302, the controller may open valve assembly 316. The open valve assembly 316 provides an opening through which the substrate 314 moves to be transferred into the second chamber 306 . In particular, open valve assembly 316 enables substrate 314 to be transferred directly into second chamber 306 (eg, into the low pressure environment of second chamber 306). The controller may then operate the transfer robot to transfer substrate 314 to another portion of the processing platform (processing platform 100). For example, the substrate 314 is first transferred directly into the second chamber 306 and then transferred to an appropriate processing chamber for further processing or to a load gate chamber for removal of the substrate from the processing platform.

Referring to Figure 4, in another embodiment, a high pressure processing system 400 includes a first chamber 402, a base 404, a second chamber 406, and a controller (not shown). High pressure processing system 400 is similar to high pressure processing system 300 described with respect to Figure 3; unless otherwise specified, various options and embodiments are applicable to this embodiment as well.

For example, the gas delivery system and vacuum processing system of high pressure processing system 400 operate in a similar manner to maintain low and high pressure environments for substrates 414 processed using high pressure processing system 400 . The second chamber 406 may be defined by the volume between the inner wall 420 and the outer wall 424 . Additionally, substrate 414 may also be supported on base 404 for processing within first chamber 402. Additionally, the substrate may sit directly on the base 404 or on lift pins 430 that extend through the base.

High pressure processing system 400 differs from high pressure processing system 300 of FIG. 3 in some considerations. First, the inner wall 420 defining the first chamber 402 is immovable relative to the base 422 defining the first chamber 402 . The base 404 is thus fixed relative to the inner wall 420 and base 422 . In some examples, base 404 is secured to base 422 defining first chamber 402 .

The one or more heating elements 418 of the embodiment depicted in Figure 4 are not arranged in the wall 420 of the first chamber 402 as is the case with the one or more heating elements 318 of the embodiment of Figure 3 . Within base 404. The substrate 414 is therefore heated by contact with the base 404 .

The high pressure processing system 400 further includes a valve assembly 416 between the first chamber 402 and the second chamber 406. The valve assembly 416 (like A valve assembly 316 similar to Figure 3) isolates the first chamber 402 and the second chamber 406. However, unlike valve assembly 316 , valve assembly 416 is not formed by wall 420 and base 422 defining first chamber 402 , but rather by an arm 425 movable relative to inner wall 420 and base 422 of first chamber 402 . The arm 425 is moveable relative to the outer wall 424 of the first chamber 402 and the base 422 .

In particular, valve assembly 416 includes slit valve 423 between first chamber 402 and second chamber 406 . Slit valve 423 includes slit 423a and arm 425. Slit 423a extends through first interior wall 420 of first chamber 402. The proximal end 425a of the arm 425 is located outside the first chamber 402, while the distal end 425b of the arm 425 is located within the first chamber 402. The proximal end 425a of the arm 425 may be located within the second chamber 406 and driven by an actuator located within the second chamber 406. Alternatively, the proximal end 425a of the arm 425 is located outside the second chamber 406 and is therefore driven by an actuator 428 that is also outside the second chamber 406 .

Arm 425 extends through slit 423a and is movable relative to wall 420 such that arm 425 is movable to a position forming a seal with wall 420. Actuator 428 is coupled to proximal end 425a of arm 425 and drives distal end 425b of arm 425 relative to wall 420 . Arm 425 can also move vertically to cover or expose slit 423a. In particular, the proximal end 425a of the arm 425 may be or may include a flange extending substantially parallel to an adjacent inner surface of the inner wall 420. The arm 425 is also moveable and driven laterally such that the distal end 425b of the arm 425 can engage or disengage the wall 420.

Arms 425 may also extend through holes 426 in outer wall 424.

Like valve assembly 316, valve assembly 416 is moveable between an open position and a closed position. When the valve assembly 416 is in the closed position, the distal end 425b of the arm 425 covers the slit 423a and contacts one of the walls 420, thereby forming a seal to isolate the first chamber 402 from the second chamber 406. In particular, the distal end 425b (eg, flange) of the arm 425 contacts the interior surface of the wall 420 defining the first chamber 402.

When the valve assembly 416 is in the open position, the distal end 425b of the arm 425 is laterally spaced apart from the wall 420 (eg, the interior surface of the wall 420). Additionally, the distal end 425b of the arm 425 is positioned vertically such that the slit 423a is not covered. Thus, slit 423a provides an opening that enables fluid communication between first chamber 402 and second chamber 406 and also enables movement of substrate 414 in and out (eg, by a robot as discussed above) First chamber 402.

The controller may operate the high pressure processing system 400 to transfer the substrate 414 into and out of the first chamber 402 and form a layer of material on the substrate 414 in a manner similar to the processes described with respect to the controller of the high pressure processing system 300 . In this process, to open and close valve assembly 416, the controller may operate actuator 428 to drive arm 425.

An advantage of the configuration shown in Figure 4 is that the pressure within the first chamber 402 helps to force the distal end 425b of the arm 425 against the inner surface of the inner wall 420. Therefore, the actuator may be less powerful compared to the configuration shown in Figure 3.

Referring to Figure 5, in a further embodiment, high pressure processing system 500 includes a first chamber 502, a base 504, a second chamber 506 and Controller (not shown). High pressure processing system 500 is similar to high pressure processing system 400 described with respect to Figure 4; various options and embodiments are applicable to this embodiment as well unless otherwise specified.

For example, the gas delivery system and vacuum processing system of high pressure processing system 500 operate in a similar manner to maintain low and high pressure environments for substrates (not shown) processed using high pressure processing system 500 . Additionally, substrates may also be supported on the base 504 or lift pins for processing within the first chamber 502.

The high pressure processing system 500 differs from the high pressure processing system 400 of FIG. 4 in that the base 504 is mounted to the top plate 521 defining the first chamber 502 rather than the base 522 defining the first chamber 502 . Similar to base 504, base 504 is fixed relative to wall 520, ceiling 521, and base 522. Additionally, one or more heating elements 518 of high pressure processing system 500 are disposed within base 504 . To position the substrate on the base 504 such that the substrate is supported on the base 504 , the substrate is inserted between the plates of the base 504 . The one or more heating elements 518 are arranged relative to the plate such that the one or more heating elements 518 can apply heat uniformly to the substrate when the substrate is inserted into the slot defined by the plate of the base 504 .

An advantage of the configuration of Figure 5 is that the inner chamber 502 is easier to access for service or repair. In particular, to gain access to the base 504, the top cover 528 of the outer wall 524 can be removed. Next, the top plate 521 and the base 504 can be removed as a unit.

Referring to Figure 6, in a further embodiment, high pressure processing system 600 includes a first chamber 602, a base 604, a second chamber 606 and Controller (not shown). High pressure processing system 600 is similar to high pressure processing system 400 described with respect to Figure 4; unless otherwise specified, various options and embodiments are applicable to this embodiment as well.

For example, the gas delivery system and vacuum processing system of high pressure processing system 600 operate in a similar manner to maintain low and high pressure environments for substrate 614 processed using high pressure processing system 600 . Additionally, substrate 614 may also be supported on base 604 for processing within first chamber 602.

High pressure processing system 600 differs from high pressure processing system 400 of FIG. 4 in that arm 625 of valve assembly 616 of high pressure processing system 600 contacts the outer surface of inner wall 620 defining first chamber 602 rather than inner wall 620 The inner surface of the inner wall 620 covers the hole 623a in the inner wall 620. Similar to valve assembly 416, valve assembly 616 operates to isolate first chamber 602 from second chamber 606. Valve assembly 616 may be positioned between first chamber 602 and second chamber 606.

Valve assembly 616 includes slit valve 623 between first chamber 602 and second chamber 606 . Slit valve 623 includes an aperture 623a (eg, a slit) and an arm 625. Slit 623a extends through one of inner walls 620 that provide first chamber 602. The proximal end 625a of the arm 625 is located outside the first chamber 602.

The distal end 625b of the arm 625 is not located within the first chamber 602 as is the case with arm 425, but is located outside the first chamber 602. Therefore, arm 625 does not extend through slit 626.

The arm 625 is moveable relative to the wall 620 such that the arm 625 is moveable to a position forming a seal with the wall 620 . For example, high pressure processing system 600 An actuator 628 is included, and the actuator 628 is operable to drive the arm 625 . An actuator 628 is coupled to the proximal end 625a of the arm 625 and is driven to move the distal end 625b of the arm 625 relative to the wall 620 .

Like valve assembly 316, valve assembly 616 is moveable between an open position and a closed position. For example, when valve assembly 616 is in the closed position, distal end 625b of arm 625 contacts one of walls 620, thereby forming a seal to isolate high pressure in first chamber 602 from low pressure in second chamber 606. In particular, the distal end 625b of the arm 625 contacts the outer surface of the wall 620 defining the first chamber 602 and is positioned to cover the slit 626.

When valve assembly 616 is in the open position, distal end 625b of arm 625 does not contact wall 620 (eg, the interior surface of wall 620). The aperture 626 thus provides an opening that enables fluid communication between the first chamber 602 and the second chamber 606 and also enables movement of the substrate 614 into and out of the first chamber 602 .

The controller may operate the high pressure processing system 600 to convey the substrate 614 and form a layer of material on the substrate 614 in a manner similar to the processes described with respect to the controller of the high pressure processing system 300 . In this process, to open and close valve assembly 616, the controller may operate actuator 628 to drive arm 625.

An advantage of the configuration shown in Figure 6 is that the hole 626 is relatively smaller (eg, compared to the base 322 in the configuration shown in Figure 3). As such, when high pressure builds up in first chamber 602, less force is required to hold the valve in the closed position. Therefore, the actuator may be less powerful compared to the configuration shown in Figure 3.

Figure 7 shows a base 700 with a heating element in accordance with certain embodiments. Base 700 may, for example, correspond to one of bases 404, 504, 604. The base 700 includes a lift pin assembly 702 having a lift pin 704 disposed at least partially within an opening 706 defined in the plates 708 , 710 . Lift pins 704 are used to lift the substrate from the base 700 so that a transfer robot (eg, one of the transfer robots 106, 108) can access and move the substrate out of the chamber (eg, the first chamber 202, 302, 402, 502, or 602). Lift pin 704 is driven by actuator 705 from a first position in which lift pin 704 is recessed within base 700 to a second position in which lift pin 704 protrudes from base 700 . In the second position, the lift pins 704 support the substrate on the base 700 above the base, thereby providing sufficient height above the base 700 for the transfer robot to grasp the substrate.

Controllers and computing devices may implement these operations and other processes and operations described herein. A controller (eg, one of the controllers 122, 210 or the controller of the high pressure processing system 300, 400, 500, or 600) may include one or more processing devices coupled to various components of the high pressure systems described herein, systems and subsystems.

The controller and other computing device portions of the systems described herein may be implemented in digital electronic circuits, or in computer software, firmware, or hardware. For example, the controller may include a processor to execute a computer program stored in a computer program product (eg, stored in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium). Such computer programs (also called programs, software, software applications, or code) may be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted language and may be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment.

Although this document contains many details of specific embodiments, these details should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any invention or that may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features of particular embodiments that are exclusive to a particular invention. . Certain features that are described in this document in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Furthermore, although features may be described above as functioning in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from the claimed combination may in some cases be omitted from the combination and the claimed Combinations may involve subcombinations or variations of subcombinations.

A number of embodiments have been described. However, it will be understood that various modifications may be made. For example:

‧The processing system can be used for metal annealing (e.g. annealing of copper or cobalt). For this annealing process, the process gas may be hydrogen (H ₂ ) or deuterium (D ₂ ).

‧The processing system can be used for the annealing of silicon dioxide (SiO ₂ ). For this annealing process, the process gas can be water vapor or steam.

‧The processing system can be used for annealing silicon germanium materials. For this annealing process, the process gas may be deuterium (D ₂ ).

‧Although the formation of the metal silicide layer from a cobalt or nickel layer film is described above, in some embodiments, other materials may be used. For example, other materials may include titanium, tantalum, tungsten, molybdenum, platinum, iron, niobium, palladium, and combinations thereof, and include nickel-cobalt alloys, cobalt-tungsten alloys, cobalt-nickel-tungsten alloys, doped cobalt and nickel alloys, or nickel-iron alloys of other alloys to form metal silicide materials.

‧Although the above is described in the context of a system for forming layers, a high-pressure chamber may be used in an etching system depending on the gases supplied. Alternatively, the high-pressure chamber may be filled with an inert gas and the high-pressure chamber may be used purely for thermal processing at high pressure.

‧The processing platforms described herein may include other types of processing chambers. For example, the processing platform may include an etching chamber to etch patterns onto the surface of a substrate.

‧The different chambers of the processing platform can each have different pressure environments, ranging from near vacuum to over 10 atmospheres. Isolation valves (eg, vacuum valves) between chambers can isolate pressures from each other so that these changing pressure environments can be maintained within each chamber.

‧In some cases (e.g., where a membrane is formed that does not require isolation from the atmosphere), the high-pressure processing system shown in Figures 2-6 can be a stand-alone system rather than integrated into a multi-chamber system. In this case, the low-pressure chamber will still be available to isolate the high-pressure chamber from the external environment (eg, in the event of a leak).

Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the patent claims.

100: Processing Platform/Platform

102:Transfer chamber/first transfer chamber

104:Transmission chamber/second transmission chamber

106:Teleport robot

107: Robot arm

108:Teleport robot

109: Robot arm

110: Processing chamber/Physical vapor phase (PVD) deposition chamber

112: Processing chamber

114: Processing chamber/RTA chamber

116: Processing chamber

118: Processing chamber/pre-cleaning chamber

120: Passing through the chamber

122:Controller

124: Degassing chamber

128:Loading lock chamber

130: Processing chamber

132:Factory interface module

200:High pressure system

202: First high pressure chamber/first chamber

204: Second vacuum chamber/second chamber

206:Gas delivery system

208: Vacuum processing system

210:Controller

211:Exhaust system

212:Valve assembly

214: Preamp pipeline

216:Isolation valve

300: High pressure treatment system

302: Chamber

304:Pedestal

306: Chamber

307:Gas delivery system

307a:Input pipeline

307b:Exhaust line

314:Substrate

316: Valve assembly

318:Heating element

320: wall

322:Base

323: Actuator

324:Outer wall

326:hole

328: Bellows

330:Pin

400: High pressure treatment system

402:First chamber

404:Pedestal

406: Second chamber

414:Substrate

416: Valve assembly

418:Heating element

420: wall

422:Base

423: Slit valve

423a: slit

424:Outer wall

425:arm

425a: near end

425b:Remote

426:hole

428: Actuator

430: Lift pin

500: High pressure treatment system

502: First chamber/inner chamber

504:Pedestal

506: Second chamber

518:Heating element

520: wall

521:top plate

522:Base

524:Outer wall

528:Top cover

600: High pressure treatment system

602:First chamber

604:Pedestal

606: Second chamber

614:Substrate

616: Valve assembly

620: wall

623: Slit valve

623a: Hole/Slit

625:arm

625a: near end

625b:Remote

626: Slit/hole

628: Actuator

700:Pedestal

702: Lift pin assembly

704: Lift pin

705: Actuator

706:Open your mouth

708: Board

710: Board

Figure 1 is a diagram of the processing platform.

Figure 2 is a diagram of the high pressure system.

Figure 3 is a schematic side view of an example of a high pressure processing system.

Figure 4 is a schematic side view of another example of a high pressure processing system.

Figure 5 is a schematic side view of another example of a high pressure processing system.

Figure 6 is a schematic side view of another example of a high pressure processing system.

Figure 7 is a schematic side view of the base.

200‧‧‧High pressure system

202‧‧‧First high pressure chamber/first chamber

204‧‧‧Second vacuum chamber/second chamber

206‧‧‧Gas delivery system

208‧‧‧Vacuum processing system

210‧‧‧Controller

211‧‧‧Exhaust system

212‧‧‧Valve assembly

214‧‧‧Pre-stage pipeline

216‧‧‧Isolation valve

Claims (19)

A high-pressure processing system for processing a layer on a substrate, including: a first chamber; a base to support the substrate, the base being positioned in the first chamber; a second chamber, at least partially surrounding the first chamber; a vacuum processing system configured to reduce a pressure in the second chamber to near vacuum; a valve assembly between the first chamber and the second chamber to The pressure in the first chamber is isolated from the pressure in the second chamber, wherein the valve assembly includes a slit valve between the first chamber and the second chamber, and wherein the slit valve Comprising: a slit through a wall between the first chamber and the second chamber; and an arm movable between a first position and a second position, in the first position , the arm covers the slit to form a seal between the first chamber and the second chamber. In the second position, the slit is uncovered and the substrate passes through the slit valve. The first chamber may be conveyed to the second chamber, and wherein the arm is configured to engage an interior surface of the wall defining the first chamber in the first position to separate the first chamber from the second chamber. The seal is formed between the second chamber; a gas delivery system configured to introduce a processing gas into the first chamber; chamber and when the process gas is in the first chamber and when the first chamber is isolated from the second chamber, increasing the pressure in the first chamber to at least 10 atmospheres; and a control a device configured to operate the gas delivery system to introduce the processing gas into the first chamber to process the layer on the substrate; and open the valve assembly to enable the substrate to be removed from the first chamber chamber is transferred to this second chamber. The system of claim 1, wherein the base is secured to walls defining the first chamber. The system of claim 1, further comprising an actuator to move the arm relative to the slit, the actuator coupled to a proximal end of the arm outside the second chamber. The system of claim 1, further comprising an actuator to move the arm relative to the slit, the actuator coupled to a proximal end of the arm in the second chamber. The system of claim 1, wherein the walls defining the first chamber are movable relative to a base defining the first chamber to provide the valve assembly. The system of claim 1, wherein the gas delivery system includes an exhaust system to exhaust gas in the first chamber to depressurize the first chamber, wherein the controller is configured to The exhaust system is operated to depressurize the first chamber before opening. The system of claim 1, further comprising a top side and a bottom side, wherein the substrate is supported on a first side base, and the first side base is closer to the top side than the bottom side. , and wherein the gas delivery system passes through the top side. The system of claim 1, further comprising a heating element configured to apply heat to the substrate when the substrate is supported on the base to anneal the substrate. The system of claim 8, wherein the heating element is positioned within the base. The system of claim 8, wherein the heating element is positioned within walls defining the first chamber. The system of claim 1, further comprising a robotic arm configured to transfer the substrate from the first chamber to the second chamber through the valve assembly. The system of claim 1, further comprising a lifting pin assembly to lift the substrate from the base. The system of claim 1, wherein the base is suspended from a ceiling of the first chamber. The system of claim 1, wherein the valve assembly is operable to enable the substrate to be transported between the first chamber and the second chamber. A semiconductor manufacturing equipment includes: a central vacuum chamber with a robot positioned therein; a factory interface module coupled to the central vacuum chamber; a low-pressure processing system coupled through a first vacuum valve to the central vacuum chamber; and the high-pressure processing system of claim 1, wherein the second chamber is coupled to the central vacuum chamber through a second vacuum valve. A semiconductor processing method comprising the steps of introducing a processing gas into a first chamber to form a layer on a substrate and generating a pressure of at least 10 atmospheres in the first chamber during formation of the layer; and The substrate is transferred directly from the first chamber through a second chamber having a pressure less than 1 atmosphere, the second chamber at least partially surrounding the first chamber, with a narrow A slit valve is between the first chamber and the second chamber, and wherein the slit valve includes: a slit passing through a wall between the first chamber and the second chamber; and a an arm movable between a first position and a second position in which the arm covers the slit to form a seal between the first chamber and the second chamber, In the second position, the slit is uncovered and the substrate is transferable from the first chamber to the second chamber through the slit valve, and wherein the arm is configured to define in the first position An inner surface of the wall of the first chamber engages to The seal is formed between one chamber and the second chamber. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of: after introducing the processing gas and before transferring the substrate, exhausting the processing gas from the first chamber to reduce the pressure in the first chamber. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of: before transferring the substrate, opening the slit valve between the first chamber and the second chamber, wherein the substrate is transferred through the slit valve to the second chamber. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of: applying heat to the substrate after the processing gas is introduced to anneal the substrate.